

San Bernardino County Area
Community Health is central to our mission because healthy communities are where people thrive. Like our approach to medicine, our work in the community takes a prevention-focused, evidence-based approach. In pursuit of our mission we go beyond traditional corporate philanthropy and grant-making to leverage our internal resources with our physician expertise, clinical practices, health education expertise, and technical assistance. Our commitment to community includes a robust engagement process that lifts the voice of community members and highlights priority health needs in our 2022 Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA). Through this process, Southern California Kaiser Foundation Hospitals identified urgent social and economic factors that negatively impact community health.
Based on the CHNA findings, the 2022 Implementation Strategy (IS) Plans for Kaiser Foundation Hospitals apply a health equity lens to outline our commitment to invest, partner, and drive change to improve the health of individuals in communities we serve. The Kaiser Foundation Hospital IS plan is unique to this service area, the high-level focus areas and strategic priorities we aim to address in partnership with community organizations are listed below:
Access to Care: We are committed to a) increase coverage, access, and utilization of health care services for populations that are underserved, uninsured, and/or underinsured, b) improve and build the current and emerging workforce to meet the primary care needs of the community, and c) improve the capacity of healthcare systems to provide quality healthcare, including interventions to address the social determinants of health.
Economic Opportunity: We are committed to a) reduce food insecurity and improving access to healthy foods, b) preserve and improve the availability of affordable housing and improve care coordination to serve individuals experiencing homelessness and to prevent displacement, and c) improve educational attainment and employment opportunities for underserved populations.
Mental and Behavioral Health: We are committed to a) improve access and connection to mental health care in clinical and community settings, b) improve and build the current and emerging mental health workforce to meet community needs, and c) reduce mental health stigma and improve knowledge, capacity, and resilience in individuals, communities, and organizations.
Across these areas, we work to inspire and support people to be healthier in all aspects of their lives, and build stronger, healthier communities. In addition to dedicating resources through Community Benefit, we also leverage substantial additional assets that improve community health, including our healthcare workforce volunteerism.
At Kaiser Permanente, we believe in using the full range of our organization’s assets to improve the health of the communities we serve. We regularly gather data and seek input from our community partners and members to inform our investments and to guide the development of strategies that can make long-term, sustainable change and improve health. We are pleased to share our 2021 Community Benefit Year-End report for Kaiser Foundation Hospitals in Fontana and Ontario that summarize our efforts and highlight specific strategies and resources we deployed to respond to the prioritized health needs in those communities.
Note: While Kaiser Permanente is committed to addressing these needs, local service areas will strategically and carefully invite community partners to apply for funding in order to address needs that align with the local Implementation Strategy Plans, which may have some variations of the strategic priorities listed above. Please scroll down to view the areas that are currently being funded in this area.
Recent Related News
- May 22, 2018 – Kaiser Permanente Announces $200 Million Impact Investment, Partners with U.S. Mayors and CEOs
- May 14, 2018 – Leadership Winner Recognizes Health Depends on Economic Opportunities
- May 14, 2018 – Kaiser Permanente Joins de Beaumont Foundation as National Partner in CityHealth Initiative
San Bernardino County Area Grants Program
The grant information below is for historical information only. The 2021 grant application is by invitation only.
Kaiser Permanente San Bernardino County Service Area provides grants to local nonprofit health and human service organizations that address the priority health needs for its community service area. The current funding priorities, funding timeline, and guidelines on how to apply are provided below. This grant program is “By Invitation Only” and unsolicited funding requests will not be considered.
If you would like to apply for Grant or Sponsorship Funding for a broader service area in Southern California or Nationally, visit this site for more information and to apply.
If you would like to apply for a local event sponsorship, such as: health fairs/expositions; conferences; symposia; public policy briefings; and health education forums; visit this site for more information and to apply.
Note: Make sure that you are submitting your sponsorship request to the appropriate medical center within your agency’s County area; otherwise, your organization’s request may be declined.
Current Grant Funding Priorities
Kaiser Permanente San Bernardino County Area is currently focused on supporting the following health needs and related strategic priorities. Reviewing this area will help to ensure that your proposed grant project is aligned with these priorities.
Goal: Increase community members’ access to timely, coordinated, high quality health care from a trained and diverse workforce. Funding support will focus on direct programs and services that:
Strategic priorities
- Increase enrollment in coverage programs for low-income individuals and families without public or private coverage. *
- Examples of aligned grants: coverage options and assist with eligibility screening/application/enrollment e.g., navigator/enrollment/outreach organizations *
- Support access to care for patients through collaboration among community clinics, clinic networks, and other safety net providers.
- Support and implement physician and other pipeline and training programs, using evidence-based, culturally competent and patient-centered population management modules.
- Design, pilot and implement systems for screening community for social (non-medical) needs and refer to community-based programs.
- Strengthen the capacity of community clinics to prevent and manage chronic disease (early identification and management of asthma, diabetes, obesity)
Goal: Increase access to optimal levels of mental health and well-being through improved equitable access to evidence-based, high quality, appropriate care, and reduced effects of stigma. Funding support will focus on direct programs and services that:
Strategic priorities
- Support infrastructure and capacity building of community organizations and clinics to improve access to quality mental health care.
- Support the integration of mental health care, case management, and navigation services into clinical care and community settings.
- Support the education and training of licensed mental health professionals to be culturally competent.
- Support the utilization of pipeline and training programs to increase the number of licensed and diverse mental health professionals.
- Support efforts to improve the community and social support system’s knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions about mental health, trauma and resilience.
- Support the enhancement of organizational culture, practices and policies in schools and other institutions to be trauma - informed.
- Support organizations with skilled practitioners prevent racial trauma, stress, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). *
- Examples of aligned grants: Organizations within their core program should engage individuals, families and communities at highest risk to prevent and mitigate the impact of ACEs and trauma by anchoring children and families in healthy relationships • Disrupting the cycle of trauma • Accelerating paths to healing and positive life journeys. Grants aligned with ACEs target the following groups: *
- Overall: ACEs screening, violence prevention and social needs support*
- Early Childhood: Family-centered and prenatal interventions focused on trauma-informed education, coaching and support*
- School-Age: Trauma-sensitive, resilience-based community activities (preschool through junior high school) that are adjacent to or complement school-based efforts*
- Adolescents: Educational therapy, life-skills and job training, mentoring and internships*
- Examples of aligned grants: Organizations within their core program should engage individuals, families and communities at highest risk to prevent and mitigate the impact of ACEs and trauma by anchoring children and families in healthy relationships • Disrupting the cycle of trauma • Accelerating paths to healing and positive life journeys. Grants aligned with ACEs target the following groups: *
Goal: Improve community members’ economic security and access to social services, including affordable housing, educational attainment, training and employment, and healthy foods
Strategic priorities
- Food Insecurity and Access to Healthy Foods.
- Examples of aligned grants: Increase purchasing power (enrollment in SNAP and WIC); Food, Meal, Nutrition Distribution. *
- Education, College, and Career Readiness. *
- Examples of aligned grants: High school and/or GED achievement to increase attendance and graduation among students of color in low-income areas; career exposure in healthcare; mentorship; social emotional supports for students and families. *
- Equity. Invest to strengthen existing community-based organization leadership and action to dismantle discriminatory policies, systems, and practices that disadvantage communities of color.
- Quality Jobs and Career Opportunities. *
- Examples of aligned grants: Workforce development for job training and placement programs, including pre-apprenticeship programs; wrap around services to support job seekers who face socio-economic barriers to securing and maintaining jobs (e.g. transportation, childcare); connection to quality jobs and transitional employment paired with support services to better position them for future long-term employment (i.e. social enterprises).*
- Thriving Schools. Work to foster healthier schools’ environments for students, staff, and teachers.
- Prevent Homelessness: Cross-sector interventions that address individual, community and system level indicators of housing instability and homelessness. *
- Examples of aligned grants: Evidence-based prevention, diversion and housing stabilization strategies to keep people in their homes or quickly rebound from homelessness such as capacity building for a community-based legal aid to participate in an MLP or tenancy or supportive services.*
- Transform Care: Whole Person Approaches: Strategies that strengthen the connectivity and provision of care within health care and social services safety net people experiencing homelessness or formerly homeless. *
- Examples of aligned grants: Enhanced integration of Health Care, Public Health and CoCs to strengthen clinical and social services to better care for the whole person including evidence-based practices for long-term housing solutions and accelerating innovative and culturally competent virtual models of care. Recuperative care. *
- Increase Affordable Housing Supply: Strategies that preserve, stimulate and/ or enhance affordable housing units in service of reaching population level goals. *
- Examples of aligned grants: Enhancements to support affordable housing impact investments. Impact investment in coordination with other partners for homeless housing. *
- Support Social Health Thrive Local Community Network Development*
- Examples of aligned grants: Increase service capacity; direct services (utility assistance, transportation, housing, shelter, basic need); CBO capacity development (staffing, training, leadership development, consultants). *
Applicant Eligibility
To be eligible for a Kaiser Permanente San Bernardino County Area Community Health grant, an applicant organization (or fiscal agent), must have operations in California and be one of the following types of nonprofit organizations:
- 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a 509 (a) designation indicating that the organization is not a private foundation
- A local, state, or federal government agency, including any of its subdivisions that perform substantial governmental functions
In addition, organizations must:
- Provide direct services to disadvantaged and/or underserved populations that address funding priorities identified in the Kaiser Permanente San Bernardino County Service Area Community Health Needs Assessment
- Provide services within the geographic boundaries of Kaiser Permanente San Bernardino County Service Area, which includes the communities of: Angelus Oaks, Apple Valley, Banning, Beaumont, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Bloomington, Calimesa, Cedar Glen, Cedarpines Park, Cherry Valley, Hesperia, Highland, Lake Arrowhead, Loma Linda, Lytle Creek, Mentone, Mountain View Acres, Muscoy, Patton, Phelan, Pinon Hills, Redlands, Rialto, Rimforest, Rubidoux, Running Springs, San Bernardino, Skyforest, Sugarloaf, Twin Peaks, Victorville, Wrightwood, Yucaipa, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Diamond Bar, La Verne, Mira Loma, Montclair, Mt. Baldy, Ontario, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, San Antonio Heights, Upland
Kaiser Permanente San Bernardino County Area Community Health does not consider funding requests from international, social, recreational clubs, or for the following:
- Sports teams and tournaments (e.g., golf tournaments, tennis events, walks, and runs)
- Individuals
- Religious purposes
- Partisan political activities
- Endowments or memorials
- Re-granting purposes to other organizations
Kaiser Permanente San Bernardino County Area will not consider requests from organizations that discriminate based on gender, age, economic status, educational background, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, or marital status in your programs, services, policies and administration. In addition, Community Health grants will not be awarded for activities, events, or programs organized or solely sponsored by alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceutical companies, or companies that produce firearms.
We generally do not provide grants for academic research, capital campaigns, event sponsorships (including community health fairs), or political campaigns.
Grant Award Parameters and Considerations
Organizations may only submit one application in one health need area and one strategic priority. The grant application limit is $25, 000 and have a 1-year grant term from January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022. The considerations listed below will guide the selection of grant awards. Although this is a “By Invitation Only” process it will remain highly competitive. An invitation to apply does not automatically result in final approval for funding at any amount.
Funding will be based on the strongest grant proposals with clear and measurable objectives with the most impact to the identified populations living in the most underserved communities.
Due to the competitive nature of the grant cycle, applying and meeting these considerations can be useful in submitting a competitive proposal. Please note that an invitation to apply does not guarantee funding.
- Project aligns closely with funding priorities and serves our service area.
- Population to be served are identified as highly vulnerable populations. Priority is given to poor/low-income, un/underinsured targeted populations identified in the CHNA and IS Plan.
- Project budget includes other sources of funding and demonstrate sustainability.
- Project objectives are specific, measurable, action-oriented, and time-defined.
- Project/intervention is evidence- based or evidence-informed and addresses multiple drivers.
- Proposal demonstrates a clear Equity Lens approach.
- Project leverages existing initiatives and resources. This grant cannot be the only revenue source for sustainability.
Award announcements will be made on or before mid-December 2021.
If funded, all grantees will be required to provide a final report by February 1, 2023. Final Report instructions will be provided in the Letter of Agreement.
To view your submitted application click here.
*Kaiser Permanente National Community Health Common Areas of Focus
Grantmaking Contact
By the Numbers
Looking for CHNA Reports?
You can find all the CHNA Reports organized by Year and Medical Center in the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Section of the Service Areas Page.